May Memorial Messenger July 20, 2015

From The Pastor...Beer, Healthcare, Church Discipline, and Hare Krishnas

In the summer of 2009 Beverley and I visited the Hare

Krishna temple in Hillsboro, NC as a part of a doctoral seminar

I was taking at Columbia Seminary. While we were there we

observed their time of singing, prayers, and meditation. They

took us on a tour of the facility which included a self-sustained

farm with a beautiful vegetable garden, goats, cows, and chick-

ens. After the time of prayer they invited us to their evening

meal, and Beverley and I sat with two ladies and had a very

interesting conversation.

One of the ladies began to tell us her story of faith, and I

thought it was very telling. She grew up in Winston-Salem,

and as a child she belonged to a Baptist Church. Her dad was a

deacon and her mom was a Sunday School teacher. One day

her dad left her mom for another woman, and he turned his (Continued on page 3)

Life Together This Summer

Summer

Wednesday

Nights

Haiti Mission Trip Presentation by Chris Wondree

Church Fellowship Hall– 7/29

Understanding Jordan by Bob Talbert

Church Fellowship Hall August 12

Wild Goose Prayer Meeting

Church Sanctuary August 26

Youth and Children

We will begin our Sunday mornings

at 9:45 in the Sanc-tuary for a praise

song with Miss Debbie!

Afterwards Youth

will head to the Youth House and the children will go with their Sunday School

teachers.

Special Called

Business Meeting

Sunday, July 26, following worship, for the matter of

approving upgrades to the sanctuary’s

audio visual equipment.

The youth are at Passport Camp this week

Please pray for them!

Campers: Wade Buckner, Owen Buckner, Hannah Crump,

Rebekah Crump, Jonathan Davis, Ashton Daniels, Josh Deal,

Anna Edwards, Anne Gillespie

Chaperones: Constance Deal, Gwen Hagen, Chris Wondree

Please be sure to join us as our Youth step up to lead

worship in new and exciting ways!

PRAYER REQUESTS 7/20/2015

*FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

Wilson Denoon, son of Snead Denoon

Freddie Boatwright—Amy Potter’s father

Dr. Bill Torres-son-in-law of Jackie & Paul Lindsey

Jimmy Conner-Esther Fitch’s brother-in-law

Jon Smith—Cousin of Sandy Shelton

Jan Cole—friend of Judy Boelt

Douglas Barnett-family of Dwight Atkins

Larry Thompson-friend of the Howard’s, had a stroke , do-ing well, send notes to 525 Holman Mill Road, Farmville, 23901

Kaye Edwards-mother of Michael Edwards

Kenneth Dalton-friend of Frances Shelton

Libby Gregg, daughter of Carol Gregg

MILITARY:

Hash, Johnny Danny Myers Templeton, Brent Walls, Jay Scudder, Ben Sutton, Quint Newman, Stephen Newman, Lewis

CHURCH FAMILY: Diana Brown Tom Buckner Jesse Green Jim Gregg Donnie Hatcher Audrey Johnston Bill Karnolt

Bill Painter Judy Potter Nita Porterfield James Simpson Moe Stoll Anna Turley Karen Utt

HOMEBOUND: Audrey Johnston The Laurels 9101 Bon Air Crossings Dr Richmond, VA 23235

Nita Porterfield 2017 Rocky Ford Road Frances Tilman 3904 Old Buckingham Road Anna Turley 1520 Mill Quarter Road

VBS Group Picture

Attendance & Offerings Weekly Amount Needed $6,989.00

Sunday July 19, 2015

Attendance: Sunday School 88 Worship 153

General Fund $ 6,160.32

A Time to Build 25.00

Scholarships 200.00

Total Giving For Period: $ 6,385.32

Scholarships

Snead DeNoon in Memory of Gail DeNoon

This Week at May Memorial

Monday, July 20

Youth head to Passport Camp

Wednesday, July 22

10:30 a.m. Centering Prayer Group

Upcoming Activities

Sunday, July 26 12:00 p.m. Special Called Business Meeting

Wednesday, July 29

6:30 p.m. Haiti Mission Trip Presentation

7:30 p.m. Choir rehearsal

Sunday, August 2

3:00 p.m. Church Council Meeting

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Ushers: Jeff Osborne, Lee Howard, Bob Wood, Ewell Flippo, David Deal Deacons of the Month: Gerald Hagen, Nancy Wood, Maryvel Firda

back on his children and never was a part of their lives. Her mom was desperate to provide for her children, working

part time jobs and piecing it together as best she could until one day she was given a job at the local brewery. It was a

very good job. It paid well, and she even had health insurance for her family. It was a tremendous blessing.

A couple of months passed before the pastor and a deacon from the church showed up at their home and they told

her that because she was working at the brewery that she was going to be placed under church discipline. The mother

told the church leaders that she didn’t want any problems, so she was just going to withdraw her membership. “Oh

no,” they told her, “this is going to go before the church even if you withdraw your membership.”

The mother kept her job, the church brought her membership status up at the next business meeting, and the lady

that Beverley and I ate with that night never returned to a Baptist or Christian Church of any kind. She found love and

acceptance as a Hare Krishna and still carried a resentment about Christians, especially Baptists.

I understand that I heard one side of a two sided story, I get that. I also understand that as Christians and church

members people will do hurtful things and we must work to remain faithful to God and find a way to be a part of

God’s people even when they disappoint us. But my heart ached for this lady who was hurt by this church and there-

fore was missing Jesus.

I can’t help but wonder what the outcome would have been if that church had responded differently to this lady

and her children? What if the key word was not discipline but love? I cannot know how it would have turned out dif-

ferently, but I know that my desire is always to err on the side of grace and love and forgiveness, because that is where

I see Jesus.

From The Pastor...

(Continued from page 1)

Better Than Ever Fifty Plus Retreat

October 19-21 2015

Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference

Center in Lynchburg

Centering

Prayer Group Meeting each Wednesday

at 10:30 a.m. In the Esther

Sunday School Classroom

Everyone is invited!

Non-Profit Organization

US Postage Paid

Powhatan, VA 23139

Permit 10

Visit our website at maymemorialchurch.org May Memorial Baptist Church

3922 Old Buckingham Rd. PO Box 56

Powhatan, VA 23139, Office (804) 598-3098

ay

emorial

essenger

Michael K. Edwards, Pastor 804-922-0101 (cell) pastor@maymemorialchurch.org Debbie Thompson, Minister of Music 804-502-9521 (cell) musicministry@maymemorialchurch.org Sheri Jordan, Minister of Children 804-439-1219 (cell) childrensministry@maymemorialchurch.org Chris Wondree, Minister of Youth 540-847-4674 (cell) youthministry@maymemorialchurch.org Linda Pulliam, Financial Secretary 804-598-3098 (office) finance@maymemorialchurch.org Diana Schmitz, Church Secretary 804-598-3098 (office) maymem@verizon.net Gerald Hagen, Deacon Chairperson 804-356-1319 (cell)

Kathy Cline—July 21 Marisa Claud—July 21

Constance Deal—July 22 Lauren Wilkinson-July 22 Harry Wheeler—July 24 Joshua Boelt—July 24 Frances Tilman-July 25

Sandra Morrison—July 25 Debbie Chiles—July 25

Bill Ketron—July 25 Kathryn Duncan—July 26

Julie Seaman—July 26 Ryan Samuel—July 27 Piper Osborne—July 27

Deacons: Gerald Hagen, Doug Bradbury, Maryvel Firda, Nancy Wood, Russ Martin, Jeff O’Donnell, Ashley Osborne,

Paul Hollandsworth, Chris Shust.

Music Ministry

Notes This week through worship and music we:

Encountered God:

while listening to Anna Edwards beautiful violin prelude based on Psalm 62; while hearing Sharon Samuel Labons' gorgeous solo ~ " Once Upon a Tree"; while experiencing Irma Alvis' lovely service music on the organ; while hearing our choir call us to worship by singing ~ "To God Be the Glory".

Embodied Community:

while corporately singing hymns and a cho-rus of praise together to give honor and glo-ry to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; while meeting as a choir together before worship to rehearse and prepare to lead the con-gregation in worship; by watching some of our children lead a

praise chorus in the service.

to then Embrace the World:

after having been transformed by the message and music be-cause we really do have "MORE THAN PLENTY" to go out this

week into the world of people around and beyond us..

SUMMER CHOIR REHEARSALS:

W- July 29-7:30 pm (after Haiti Mission Presentation);

W- August 19-6:30 pm; W-August 26 7:30 pm

(following Wild Goose Prayer Meeting); W-September 2 6:30pm;

WEDNESDAY--SEPTEMBER 9

REGULAR MUSIC SCHEDULE RESUMES:

We welcome any new members! Children's Choir (K--5th) 5:30-6 pm;

Youth/Adult Aged Handbells-6:30-7:15 pm; Adult Choir- 7:30--8:45 pm

May Memorial Book Club Book: The Book of Forgiving

by Desmond

Tutu and Mpho Tutu When: Sunday, August 23,

6:30 pm Where: Jeff and Lisa

O’Donnell’s home,

3589 Pals Drive RSVP Jeff at

sinnfein1916@verizon.net

Visit our website at maymemorialchurch.org